Ireland told to tighten bird flu measures

IRELAND and other EU member states were told yesterday by veterinary experts to tighten protection measures against the H5N1 virus.

The warning came as British authorities investigated the possibility that the virus found on the Suffolk turkey farm last week could have come from seagulls.

The cull of 159,000 birds on what is Europe’s biggest turkey farm was completed yesterday and tight restriction zones remain to prevent the spread of the virus.

Poultry in the restricted zone are confined to indoors while surveillance and bio-security measures have been stepped up, European Commission veterinary experts said.

Member states were advised to maintain heightened surveillance and biosecurity, to review the measures they already have in place and in any areas identified as high-risk poultry should be kept indoors.

The origin of the virus is still being investigated.

The British experts said it did not seem likely that the infection came from Hungary — something thought to be a possibility since the farm involved has links with poultry farms there.

They were checking on all personnel and vehicles and looking at the possibility that wild birds could have spread the virus.

There are a relatively small number of migrant birds in the region, but a lot of seagulls.

“Seagulls are known to be carriers,” said European Commission Agriculture spokesman Michael Mann.